Live from the National Museum of African American Music: Amythyst Kiah

Last month, World Cafe went down to Nashville, as part of our 30th anniversary celebration, to record a series of mini-concerts from the National Museum of African American Music. Over the course of the month, you’ll hear those sessions, which feature performances from Devon Gilfillian, Keb’ Mo’, Lizzie No and, today, Amythyst Kiah.

Kiah made a name for herself, along with Rhiannon Giddens and Leyla McCalla, as the group Our Native Daughters. Her debut solo album, Wary + Strange, with its unusual combination of roots influences and alternative sounds, featured the Grammy-nominated song, “Black Myself.”

There are some fun alternative influences in this session, though, with a handful of covers, including Tori Amos’ “Sugar,” and we start this mini-concert off with a very cool spin on Joy Divisions’ post-punk anthem, “Love Will Tear Us Apart.”